Simpler transactions with government agencies are coming soon, after the ball started rolling for the establishment of a National ID system this week. The prediction came from Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, as he said the days of multiple IDs are “numbered.” “The days of multiple ID’s in our wallets are numbered.

Simpler transactions with government agencies are coming soon, after the ball started rolling for the establishment of a National ID system this week.

The prediction came from Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, as he said the days of multiple IDs are “numbered.”

“The days of multiple ID’s in our wallets are numbered. It’s only a matter of time for Filipinos to have a valid proof of identity as a means to simplify public and private transactions,” he said in a tweet (https://twitter.com/iampinglacson/status/973712957770162177).

“What we allow are multiple identification systems in government which create unnecessary and costly redundancies, resulting in the exclusion of those who do not have the means and capacity to access the IDs. Likewise, we make it inconvenient for individuals to transact with government agencies and private sector entities,” Lacson said in his sponsorship speech.

Under the bill, the government will set up the Philippine ID System that has the PhilSys Number; PhilID; and PhilSys Registry.

The PhilSys Number is a randomly generated identification number for each individual, to be incorporated in all identification systems of government agencies.

PhilID is a non-transferable card with the PSN, full name, facial image, date of birth, address, and fingerprints of the bearer.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Statistics Authority is mandated to act as the PhilSys Registry.

The bill also has strong penal provisions criminalizing refusal to accept the PhilID or PSN; use of false name or information in application; unauthorized or criminal use of the PhilID or PSN; and malicious disclosure of data or information for profit or by negligence.

On Tuesday, colleagues backed Lacson in pushing for the passage of the measure establishing a National ID system.